The Internet of Dogs: Tech to Track Your Pooch

Recently, the tech world has embraced the "Internet of Things," where just about anything—shoes, watch, calories—can be tracked. So why not track my own dog, Abby, a border collie–Labrador mix who likes to test the boundaries of our 5-acre property?

Garmin Astro, $599.99

Garmin Astro, $599.99

For those who really need the best in hunting dog tracking, this model beats the TEK in terms of specs and features. First, the range is about nine miles with line-of-sight, and a user can track up to 10 dogs. You can see your dog's direction, history, and current location on a color handheld GPS device. The tracker also lets you send the location of a dog to another Astro user. Most important, the GPS receiver, made by one of the most reputable mapping companies around, uses a HitFix technology to lock on to the e-collar quickly. I tested the Astro when it first came out a few years ago, and everything worked fine. My only complaint was that, like the TEK tracker, the handheld is a bit hard to see in direct sunlight. And be careful about the range: the distance is 9 miles with perfect line-of-sight (say, in an prairie) but the signal will drop with obstructions such as trees and hills.

This model is getting a bit dated, but Garmin says it is working on a new version that should debut this spring or summer.

SportDog TEK, $499

SportDog TEK, $499

This powerful handheld tracker is for those who don't always have a smartphone handy, or don't want to use one in the field. The e-collar is designed for training a hunting dog; the user can send a pulse as a gentle nudge or reminder, or use a rising alert vibration to keep the dog within a boundary you've set or respond faster to verbal commands.

I was more interested in the tracker, which has a range of 7 miles and shows an update of the pup's position every 2.5 seconds. The collar is black and fit snugly (important for dogs who know how to work their way out of a collar). The handheld doubles as a standard GPS device so you can set waypoints in the field. The handheld lasts about 20 hours, is waterproof, and works with up to 12 e-collars.

Pros: Abby responded to alerts as though there was a celestial being nearby (I've never used a trainer like this before) and the collar stayed put even when she ran freely for hours.

Cons: The transmitter on the collar seemed to bother her (it's about the size of a card deck). And, while the tracker worked fine, the display was a bit hard to read in direct sunlight.